Naomi Osaka was broken three times in the opening set, losing it in just 20 minutes, but recovered in time to reach the second round. Photo: Reuters

Naomi Osaka hits back from a set down at French Open

By Dave James May 28, 2019

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PARIS – Japan’s Naomi Osaka battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 0-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the Roland Garros second round.

Osaka, bidding to add the French Open to her US and Australian Open titles, was within a whisker of becoming just the second top seed to lose in the first round in Paris in the modern era after Angelique Kerber in 2017.

World number 90 Schmiedlova, who hadn’t won a match at the tournament since 2014, twice served for the tie in the 10th and 12th games of the second set.

At one stage, she was just two points away from a famous victory.

But Osaka, who had arrived in Paris still feeling the effects of a hand injury suffered in Rome, battled back to set-up a second round duel with former world number one and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka.

“I was really close, so it hurts I lost so many chances,” said Schmiedlova.

“Maybe I felt like it was against the world number one. It was not easy in my head.”

Osaka was broken three times in the opening set, losing it in just 20 minutes.

The 21-year-old hit 13 unforced errors while the Slovakian didn’t need to hit a single winner such was the error-strewn show coming from the other side of the net.

It was the first time since 2000, when Ruxandra Dragomir ‘bageled’ Martina Hingis, that the top seed in the Roland Garros first round had suffered such an indignity.

The Japanese star had not herself been ‘bageled’ since the Wimbledon second round in 2017.

Osaka recovered her composure for a break and a 3-0 lead in the second set, but a brief suspension for rain disrupted her composure and allowed the Slovakian to hit back to 3-3.

Former top 30 player Schmiedlova served for the tie at 5-4, but Osaka dug deep to save herself.

The errors kept coming, and the 24-year-old Slovakian was handed a second chance to serve for victory.

Still, she couldn’t convert despite being just two points from victory and Osaka stayed alive, sweeping through the tie-breaker.